Grimm, Science, and Repairs
by Terrible at Writing
Summary: Becoming a huntsman had been Jaune's childhood dream. One that he had abandoned years ago to support his family after what happened to his father. What he never expected, was a second chance to fulfill that wish - though it did come in the form of a rather unusual mission. He wasn't qualified to attend Beacon Academy, but Penny wanted to go, and she definitely needed a chaperone.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Though I haven't gotten many responses yet, I'm going to go ahead and put this out. I will, however, take this down and start a new fic if it turns out everyone wants that.**

 **Without further ado, let's begin!**

* * *

Jaune woke to the soft humming of airship engines. It was a constant, monotone noise. Not quite loud enough to warrant any real annoyance, but not soft enough to be ignored once you noticed it, either. He lay there, blinking at the tiled ceiling, idly musing about how terribly bland it was, until his brain caught up and he remembered where he was.

Or rather, where he would be in several hours.

Nervousness. Excitement. These were emotions that he had suppressed for years, for with them, came mistakes that he never could afford. But this time? He couldn't bring himself to care as they ran rampant through his mind, throwing it into complete disarray and generally making a mess of things.

 _Beacon_ , for God's sake. He was going to Beacon Academy, a place that he wouldn't have dreamt of setting foot in as a student in his next ten lives. Until now, that is.

And there, was the excitement. As for the nervousness? Most of it stemmed from one question:

Was he prepared?

Maybe.

Should he be worried that his answer to the question wasn't a resounding "yes", considering that _not_ being prepared would almost certainly entail evisceration, dismemberment, or some other form of horrible, violent death?

Probably.

Was he being overly dramatic and working himself up for no reason?

Yes.

Jaune sighed, sitting up and shaking his head to clear away those thoughts before his brain melted down.

Less than a second after he did, a beep came from outside his room, followed by the click of an opening lock, as the door creaked open. A head poked in - bright orange hair, green eyes, and an inquisitive expression. "Friend Jaune, are you awake?"

"I am. Good morning." He replied, rubbing the last vestiges of grogginess from his eyes, then looking up at her. "Mind I ask, though, why you decided to take my _locked door_ as an invitation to come in? I could've still been asleep. Or indecent."

She frowned, confused. "I would not have entered if you had been. My sensors detected a change in your breathing patterns and heart rate indicating that you had woken, and confirmed that you were clothed. I even waited for you to physically rise from your bed, to ensure that you did not intend to return to sleep. Were my actions inappropriate?"

Not exactly infallible logic, but surprising for what it was - this was coming from Penny, after all. Jaune's eyebrows rose ever so slightly. "Not… entirely so, apparently. I did not expect you to consider so much."

"I have updated my social interaction protocols and moved them to a higher priority level, under the assumption that we will need to interact with other students on a regular basis who are not aware of my… artificial nature."

Jaune hummed, even if he didn't much appreciate how Penny referred to herself. "That's reasonable... Quite nicely thought out, in fact. Well done." He gave her an affirming nod, swinging his legs off his mattress and slipping his feet into the pair of shoes set neatly at the foot of his bed. He was already dressed, having anticipated a busy day ahead last night.

"Thank you!"

Jaune smiled and stood, walking to the doorway and pausing for a moment. "It might, however, help for you to keep in mind what the implications of a _locked door_ are. As a rule of thumb, knock before entering anyone's dorms in Beacon."

Penny nodded. "Understood. I will take note of that for the future."

"Wonderful. And-" Jaune cut off, as he stepped out into the main cabin - partly from what he saw, though mostly because of the _heavenly_ aroma that wafted to his nose. "You cooked breakfast?"

"I did." A more enthusiastic grin appeared on Penny's face. "I did not think you would enjoy the pre-packaged meals, and decided to make use of the onboard kitchen." She tilted her head. "You _are_ hungry, yes?"

"If I wasn't before, I certainly am now." Jaune laughed, pulling a seat out from under the table. Crispy, glazed bacon, perfectly cooked eggs, and a pile of golden brown potatoes. Probably not the fanciest meal that could've been made considering how ridiculously luxurious the ship Doctor Polendina had put them on was, but definitely far better than what he normally got in Atlas.

A downside of the military running your school was that functionality was valued over comfort. While boiled food was indubitably _healthy_ , it… tended not to taste the best.

This, though?

It was a fantastic start to the morning, for sure.

If only he could do something about the butterfly performing a damned gymnastics routine in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

Ironwood sighed. "I honestly can't fathom why you put so much faith in the boy. He can't be nearly strong enough to be on par with the students attending a huntsman academy. I'm concerned for his safety."

"And yet, you personally approved my request to send him to Beacon. Should this bring to question your sense of responsibility for those under your command?"

"Oh, cut the crap, you old bastard. I said that you could bring a _suitable_ person to accompany Penny. That said individual be properly trained _should've_ been implied."

"I must've missed it, silly me. And my, keep your voice down before you're heard talking like that." Polendina chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "Besides, Jaune got himself accepted, which should speak at least somewhat of his ability, no? A school such as Beacon would hardly allow the ill-prepared to participate in their initiation."

"You don't know Ozpin nearly well enough if you believe that. It's a miracle no one's been killed yet. I honestly doubt he even _looks_ at his applications before passing them."

"I say that in jest, old friend. Relax. Jaune doesn't give himself the credit he deserves - and neither do you. I'm confident he'll be able to, shall I say, hold in his own right."

Ironwood threw his hands up. "Don't even get me started on that. You let him away with enough ordnance to level all of Vale!"

"He's a responsible child."

"... You're out of your mind."

"Ah, don't you worry. If it comes down to the worst, there's always Penny."

"And _that's_ supposed to fill me with confidence!?"

* * *

Jaune cleaned off the plate in what felt like seconds. He toyed briefly with the idea of asking for more - his stomach wouldn't have complained - but thought better of it. Wouldn't do for him to end up stuffing himself sick on the very first day.

Unfortunately, that left him without a distraction, for staring at the clouds whipping past outside the windows really wasn't much of one. Penny had left earlier to conduct several final operation checks, leaving him alone.

The intercoms installed in the ceiling buzzed, breaking the silence as a tinny voice spoke. _"Approaching Vale airspace. ETA to destination, ten minutes."_

Jaune bit his lip.

What if he wasn't good enough? How could he hope to fight alongside people who'd trained all their lives to kill Grimm?

Well, he'd drop out. His application to Beacon was legitimate, so it wasn't as if he'd face any actual consequences for failing other than disappointment in himself - aside from dying, of course, there was always that.

What if people found out what Penny was?

Even if someone did, nothing would come of it. Penny was no longer a classified project, and the knowledge that Atlas had been developing combat AIs wasn't exactly a secret.

But none would. He'd make sure of it. Penny wanted to experience living life as a normal human, and his job was to help her. He was _not_ going to screw up and deny her the chance.

What if others got hurt because of him?

What if tripped down a flight of stairs and broke his neck?

What if...

Jaune let out a long breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

The problem with "what if" questions was that they never ran out. He'd defeat himself trying to answer them all long before anything else - namely, murderous killer monsters - could.

He _wanted_ this. He wanted to go to Beacon. That didn't mean there was any less pressure on him.

"Is something bothering you, friend Jaune?"

He turned, to be met with a concerned gaze. "No, I'm fi-" He caught himself. "I'm... just a little anxious."

Penny settled down opposite him at the table, chin in hands. "Why is that?" She asked.

"I'm weak." He said, raising a hand when she opened her mouth to object as he'd known she would. "There's no denying that. Though that it's not my fault, the fact remains that Beacon's students have to be anythingbut weak."

"But I _will_ deny it." Penny protested. "I have seen your designs for your equipment. What you lack in skill can surely be made up for in firepower? Our soldiers are certainly not as skilled as huntsmen, yet they can kill Grimm all the same. Besides, you will be able to disregard collateral damage in engagements with the Grimm. That would only 'make your life easier', would it not?"

"That's not the point. I want to prove that I can be as good as everyone else. We have combat classes, and it's not as if I'm exempt from spars. I can't exactly defeat my opponent by blowing up the ring, can I?"

Penny frowned. "I did not say you could. I said you were as strong when it comes to defeating Grimm, which is the primary objective of Huntsmen. If your wish is to be 'as good as everyone else' in terms of skill, then you can simply improve to fulfill it."

"I can't download skills into my brain like you, Penny. Seven years. That's how long most people train in prep schools before going to an academy. I've had _one_ year. I can't imagine how it's possible for me to improve fast enough to catch up, but I will need to."

"I do not understand why you feel this obligation in the first place. Even so, have you not already nearly achieved what you claim to be impossible, albeit in a different field?"

"No. This is… it's… complicated" Jaune sighed, but flashed her a grateful, if halfhearted, smile. "Thank you, though. Your words help more than I may make them seem."

Penny gave him a thumbs up. "I am always ready to help my friends, Jaune! And, as you appear not to wish to continue this conversation, I will not continue it." She hesitated, her expression sobering. "I still believe you are setting unreasonably high expectations for yourself - you fear failures that do not exist. I hope we can discuss this in more suitable circumstances in the future."

He stared at her. "I thought _I_ was supposed to be your mentor."

"You are, but that does not disallow me from providing you aide when needed. In fact, I would be more than willing to offer you further training during our time in Beacon. I have installed multiple programs just for that purpose."

"That was a _joke_."

"Oh! I did not realize you had made a humorous statement. Does that mean you accept both my offers?"

"Of _course_." Jaune laughed, genuinely this time. "Thank you again, Penny. You're amazing."

"I was not made to be anything less!"

Jaune considered correcting her there, then decided that now wasn't the time for _that_ argument again.

All things aside though, he _did_ feel better.

There would be many challenges on the road ahead of him. He would face them, and he would overcome them - no, he _needed_ to overcome them. Doubt had no place in him if he wanted to succeed, and he would. Perhaps Penny couldn't fully grasp _why_ he had to, but he knew she would support him, as much as he did her.

And that had to be enough.

" _We're beginning our descent. Please secure all loose items and prepare to disembark."_

This time, when he looked out at the rapidly approaching spires of Beacon, gleaming in the sunlight, he felt only one emotion.

Determination.

Well, and raw _panic_ , as his airsickness chose that moment to set in, but that was a moot point.

* * *

 **That's it for the chapter! How was the pacing? Did you like the dialogue? Let me know in the reviews!**

 **:D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **I'm personally having a ton of fun writing this story so far, so if you enjoy it, you can look forward to a pretty decent chapter update pace!**

 **A reader asked if Jaune would get Tony Stark-y in this fic. My answer is "possibly". I'm not averse to the idea powered armor, but a full-fledged Iron Man suit like what you see in Avengers isn't really plausible given the technology of canon Remnant.**

 **Also, there was a bit of an oopsies last chapter with the formatting. Apparently doesn't support the type of linebreaks I use. The issue has been resolved.**

 **I warn you of many potential spelling/grammar mistakes, and would greatly appreciate you pointing them out to me :D.**

* * *

"Wow…" Penny breathed, her eyes wide.

"Wow, indeed." Jaune said, taking in his surroundings as he stepped off the docking ramp after her. He set his suitcase gently on the ground and rubbed his wrists. The damned thing was _heavy_.

Behind him, hydraulics hissed, as the connecting walkway they'd crossed retracted into the hull. He turned around, returning their pilot's parting wave, before the exit hatch slid closed and sealed with a hiss of pneumatics.

Penny had already rushed fifteen paces ahead in the short several seconds that took. She looked back at him, impatient, but waited for him to join her. "I've always known that Beacon was an impressive sight from seeing its photographs, being here myself, though, is…"

"Quite a different experience?"

She nodded excitedly. "Very much so."

He couldn't disagree.

Posts hung with multicolored banners lined the path they were on. A main avenue lead to an ornately decorated fountain, framed by cherry-red trees. At its centre, stood a monument of a huntsman and a huntress, crushing a Beowulf beneath their feet. The statues faced in the direction Vale in the distance, as if watching over the city. Rings of marble archways and colonnades circled the grounds, surrounded by streams of crystal clear water.

Above it all, towered the CCT, the crowning technological achievement of mankind, a symbol of humanity's unity. The monolithic structure reached high into the clouds, a brilliant emerald light - the academy's namesake - shining at the apex, so incredibly bright despite being in the broad daylight.

"Grandiose", or "awe-inspiring", weren't words that could even _begin_ to describe Beacon. Especially since both he and Penny had become so accustomed to Atlas' squat, rectangular boxes of glass and steel.

"... Right." Jaune said, his eyes flicking down to his scroll once they'd both had a few very justified seconds to gawk. "We have twenty minutes until the opening ceremony. We could... wander around a little, if you wish?"

"I do!" Penny exclaimed. "This is absolutely sensational!" She had his baggage in one hand - lifting it effortlessly - and his arm in the other in an instant. She began to pull him along, only for her grip to slacken moment later as something seemed to catch her attention. "Oh…?"

He followed her gaze to another airship, four docking bays left of theirs - identical in design to the one they'd arrived in. Aside from it, the international arrivals section of Beacon's terminal was empty.

They was too far away for him to make out any details, save for the letters "AS-C1" emblazoned on the aileron, indicating an Atlas-registered private ownership - fairly rare, considering trans-continental flight capable aircraft required licensing for heavy anti-Grimm weaponry, which was _terribly_ expensive.

A child of a particularly wealthy family attending Beacon, perhaps? But he doubted that would've interested Penny.

"What is it?" He asked, not bothering to squint. Penny could see a thousand times better than him, and for all he knew she might've just spotted an unusual microbe.

"An SDC ship. I cross referenced the serial number with Atlas' database. This is one of the Schnee family's personal transports."

"The SDC?" Jaune's brow creased. "What on Remnant are they doing here?"

"I am also curious. Strangely, the company has arranged no visits to Beacon, except for a Dust transaction taking place next month. Even then it is unlikely for a Schnee to come in person rather than sending a representative." Penny glanced at him. "Should we investigate?"

Well, there would be plenty of time to explore the school in the future, and this was intriguing enough. "I don't see why not."

* * *

"The ship will still remain here the next five hours for resupplying and refueling. Please do not hesitate to return for any further service." Weiss' attendant bowed. ""It was a pleasure serving you, Miss Schnee. You have the best of my wishes."

The door in front her of whirred open, revealing a deep blue sky, and Beacon in all its splendor.

Her breath caught, although only for a moment. She quickly quashed any excitement before it could show on her face, forcing herself to smile politely instead. "Thank you, Hans. I shall bear that in mind."

She wouldn't come back, of course. Not that there was anything wrong with the young man. He was courteous and competent - the ideal servant, but in the end, just another employee who saw her as nothing more than _Jacques Schnee's daughter_. The sole reason he had to respect her was that he'd get fired otherwise.

Which was why, after bidding her crew farewell and finallysetting foot on land that didn't belong to her father, her reaction to a pair clad in unmistakeable Atlesian uniform approaching, was... not positive.

"Hello." Weiss said, not even aware that her eyebrow was twitching violently. "How may I help you?"

The blonde took a step back. The other one, however, beamed at her.

"You cannot." She said happily.

Weiss blinked.

"And that," the orange-haired girl continued, "is because we are simply here to greet you, as you did us." She waved, the gesture a little unnecessary. "Hi!"

Wait, what?

"Er…"

Probably figuring that Weiss' bemused expression was a whole lot better than her _someone-is-about-to-get-run-through-with-a-rapier_ scowl, the young man took the opportunity to speak. "Oh, yes." He hurried. "We noticed your ship, and thought it was only proper to introduce ourselves to a fellow student of Atlas. I'm Jaune Arc." He held out a hand. "You would be Weiss Schnee, if I'm not mistaken?"

Weiss accepted it cautiously. "You aren't. Pleased to be your acquaintance."

So they _weren't_ sent here by Jacques to "supervise" her?

 _Jaune Arc…_ was a vaguely familiar name, though she couldn't immediately place when or where she'd heard it - he was for sure not associated with the SDC, at least. But, that someone like her had, at all?

She would find the time to look into him later.

"Likewise." Jaune said. "And this, is my associate, Penny." He gestured towards his partner, who also moved forwards to shake her hand.

They were certainly pleasant enough, too - and in a well-mannered way. Who knew, if they performed adequately in the initiation, maybe she'd consider them for her team.

"Nice to meet you! My name, as Jaune has mentioned, is Penny. Penny Polendina. First and foremost, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude, in place of my father, for your family's contributions to his research."

 _That_ name, rang a bell.

Weiss' eyes widened when she put together the pieces. "You're Victor Polendina's daughter?" She blurted out, then coughed. "Forgive me. I did not realize he had a child."

Penny laughed. "That's fine, not many people do."

"Doctor Polendina chose not to announce Penny's birth. He did not feel the necessity to draw the media's attention to her." Jaune explained.

Weiss immediately understood. How could she not?

It would seem, then, that Victor Polendina was a father who wanted his daughter to be able to live life without constantly being forced to smile and pose for the cameras, to act the perfect human being that she wasn't.

Jacques Schnee hadn't extended the same courtesy to her. Weiss never had a childhood. She hadn't been allowed to.

"... Ah, I see." Weiss said, realizing her silence had drawn on for too long. "At any rate, there's no need to thank us. With our resources, it's only the SDC's duty to support individuals like Doctor Polendina. His work is for the good of all of humanity. We would not stand by to see such a noble cause go ignored."

Those words were lies and the three of them all knew it, but they were lies she was compelled to tell. Money - greed - was the reason the SDC's so generously "donated" to various academies and research projects, in exchange for publicity that generated more revenue.

The truth was thankfully allowed to be left unspoken.

"That is admirable. Remnant would be a better place if everyone had such a mindset." Jaune said, and in all fairness, it really wasn't possible to make that _not_ sound sarcastic. "Perhaps we should, in the meantime, proceed towards the amphitheatre? We're due there in ten minutes for the Headmaster's speech."

"We could always talk on the way!" Penny added.

The distraction they gave her was a welcome one. "Excellent idea." Weiss agreed. "It would not do for us to be late."

She was wrong before. Jaune and Penny weren't to only be _considered_ for her team. They were to be sought after, and not merely because of their background. Though it was only a first impression, she'd felt herself be talked to like a _person_. They saw _her_ , not the ever-looming shadow of her father which she stood in.

Admittedly, this was a little early to be jumping to conclusions, and for all her hopes _maybe_ Jaune was just an exceptionally well disguised golddigger, but Weiss resolved that she was _not_ going to let this chance slip away.

Friends, were not something she thought she'd come to Beacon to make, for all her former ones had turned out to be after her money, or status, but...

Was it truly so impossible here and now?

Oh, there'd no doubt be plenty of competition for these two. Luckily, she had a head start.

As they started towards their destination, Penny turned to her. "So, let us tell each other more about ourselves!" She said brightly.

Weiss was surprised to find herself happy to oblige.

* * *

"So I decided to watch ' _The Revengers: Unlimited Warfare'_ , and I must say, I made a fantastic choice! I was particularly moved when Dr. Unusual gave up the Temporal Gem to save Metal Man's life, and you cannot imagine how devastated I was by the death of Arachnid Boy!"

"How… fascinating…" Weiss gritted out, her smile brittle. She drew quite a few amused glances - some of the public transports had arrived, and they were no longer alone on the pathway.

Jaune chuckled to himself. He would've been worried about the imminent eruption of Mount Weiss, if not for the tiny wink Penny had sent him.

Doctor Polendina didn't have the highest regards for the SDC. Openly, he'd never criticized the company's practices - he needed the funding - but the shady business tactics, the discrimination, Penny had been informed of all of it.

Weiss couldn't be blamed, however, and he knew Penny wouldn't take the teasing too far. He could relax for a w-

"Woah!"

"Agh!"

Two thuds of bodies impacting the ground, and the tinkle of shattering glass.

Jaune turned his head, just in time to be caught in the face by an explosion.

* * *

 **Uh oh! Who could it be that bumped into our party?**

 **We should be at the initiation itself within a chapter or two (don't hold me to it), and we will witness Jaune fighting.**

 **Or dying.**

 **P.S. my style of writing tends to favor a slower pace for character interaction and dialogue. In the event that the majority of you peeps want me to scoot along faster and get to the action, I will do just that - so review/PM your opinion!**

 **P.P.S. I'm searching for a beta for this fic. If you'd be willing to to help me out, please PM me!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **It appears that you are all fine with the relatively slow pace that I'm going at so far, so that's what I'll be sticking with. Thanks for the input!**

 **Regarding the admittedly** _ **atrocious**_ **delay of this chapter, all I can say is "I'm sorry". School has started for me and I have a VERY heavy workload this year (along with university applications causing me PANIC). I haven't given up on this fic and will still be working on it periodically of course, but I can't promise consistent updates.**

 **D:**

 **Please forgive me.**

 **On the bright side, here's chapter 3!**

* * *

Weiss blinked.

She was staring at the sky.

 _It's a very pretty sky._

She blinked again.

Penny's concerned face popped into her vision. "Friend Weiss! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Er, yes. Yes, I am. I believe so. And no, I'm not. Thank y-"

Then Weiss' brain caught up, and her eyes widened. "Wait, no! _Not_ okay!" She leapt to her feet. Penny went forgotten as she spun a full circle, taking in her surroundings with increasing horror.

"Oh, gods…"

Her suitcase lay on the ground, its reinforced lid blown open with the locking mechanism shattered into a thousand pieces. The pavement around it was charred and blackened, but that wasn't important.

What _was_ important was her Dust! The containers of six variants of A5 weapons grade Dust once arranged in neat rows inside the case, was now nothing but a mess of shattered glass and multicolored streaks.

That was her month's supply! All gone, and the initiation was _tomorrow_!

Weiss was a specialized fighter who relied heavily on Dust, and extremely specific types of processed Dust at that. She needed it in order to imbue her attacks with power that they would otherwise be lacking in. Not to mention that if she wanted to do _anything_ useful with her glyphs at all, then chances were she would need the additional effects provided by Dust.

Without Dust, her combat ability was _crippled_ , and now she had none! There wasn't even enough time left for her to make the trip to Vale and buy more, what with candidates not being allowed to leave Beacon for the remainder of the day.

Panic gave way to a burning anger as Weiss' gaze focused onto the perpetrator. " _You!_ " She seethed, stalking forwards.

The girl in question, still sat dazed on the ground, took one look at Weiss and immediately shrunk into herself. "I-I'm sorry…" She stuttered. "I didn't mean-" She cut off with an " _eep!_ " as she received the full brunt of the enraged heiress' glare.

With a lengthy tirade already prepared in her mind, Weiss opened her mouth to unleash the avalanche of insults. Then a hand fell on her shoulder.

The surprise alone stopped her from tearing that imbecile a new one, if only temporarily.

Weiss was by no means an individual used to physical contact, having been taught all her life that it was to be avoided like the plague. She whirled around, fully intending to _cut_ the offending limb off its owner before she realized who said owner was.

"Friend Weiss, let us retrieve your belongings together. I would be happy to be of aid!"

Penny's tone, of such bright and unwavering cheer, was so at odds with Weiss' current mood that she could only blink again.

"… What?"

At that moment, as if taking advantage of the momentary lull in Weiss' rage, Jaune stepped past her. "Let's not cause a scene." He said softly, out of the corner of his mouth, shooting her a look that was equal parts firm and pleading. "I'll talk to her."

"I agree with Jaune." Penny tugged at Weiss, then raised her voice. "Come, Weiss! We can discuss this unfortunate incident later."

...

 _They're right._ A small, barely audible voice at the back of her head said. Weiss' eyes flickered left and right, finally noticing the crowd of onlookers that had began to form, no doubt eager for some early morning entertainment in the form of a Schnee making a fool of herself screaming at an unfortunate soul.

Weiss took a deep breath.

 _First impressions. First impressions are important. Calm down. Calm down. A Schnee is always calm. A Schnee is always logical. There are too many people around for you to be seen acting otherwise._

She wanted Jaune and Penny as her teammates, and losing composure in front of them would be less than conducive to that goal - yet she'd would've done just that if not _for_ them. They seemed to think no less of her for it. No disguised condescension, no subtly patronizing remarks. None of what she had become so used to in Atlas.

Slowly, Weiss felt her anger recede. Not that it was _gone_ , of course. Merely contained.

"Very well." She replied. "Thank you for offering to help, Penny."

Penny gave her an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

Sparing a grateful glance at Jaune, Weiss allowed Penny to pull her towards her ruined case. She knelt, deciding to try and salvage whatever was left of its contents.

Then, unable to fight the urge, she turned and glared at the black-haired, idiot-slash- _buffoon_ again.

"But don't think _you're_ off the hook yet." She muttered.

* * *

Weiss walked to Jaune's right. To his left was Penny, and to hers Ruby.

It was probably a good idea to put as much distance between the two as possible.

As to _why_ Ruby was even with them, Jaune had made the executive decision to bring her along the moment he saw those eyes - wide and frightened, like those of a terrified, lost puppy. He had been certain the tiny girl would break down into tears if they left her alone there, and that would've haunted his dreams for all eternity.

So that was all well and good, except for the fact that no one had spoken for a full two minutes now. Ruby would wilt and try to hide behind Penny whenever Weiss so much as _twitched_ in her direction, and Weiss, well…

He had to give her credit. She'd managed to keep herself from exploding at Ruby, and clearly it was taking a plentiful amount of effort from the way her jaw would tighten and her fists would clench every few seconds.

 _A little sad that all it takes for a Schnee to impress me is for her_ not _to yell at someone, eh?_

Perhaps starting a conversation with her would help, but Jaune, being the coward he was, hadn't been able to work up the courage. Penny, for some reason, had yet to speak up either. Chances were, she just hadn't noticed the issue at all.

Another _impossibly_ awkward twenty seconds passed.

"Sooo," Jaune began, finally breaking the silence, and promptly regretted it when he realized he had completely _no idea_ what to say.

Three pairs of eyes zeroed in on him.

 _Damnit, think of something! Quick!_

"… Nice weather today."

If, somewhere high above, there were any deities watching, Jaune had no doubt that their faces would be buried in their hands.

Penny perked up, and - thank the Gods - came to his rescue. "Yes. I agree! The weather is indeed very nice today. Vale certainly has a more pleasant climate than that I am used to in Atlas. What do you think, Weiss?"

Weiss blinked, which seemed to be starting to become something of a trend with Penny. "The same?" She replied, hesitantly. "Atlas tends towards much lower temperatures in general year-round." Then she picked up on what Penny was attempting to do, and closed her eyes, letting out a long breath.

"Alright. You."

Ruby started, reflexively jumping behind Penny again before peeking out at Weiss. "Me?"

"Who else could I be addressing? Of _course_ it's you, you dol-" Weiss' mouth snapped shut. She drew in and released another deep breath. "Excuse me. What I meant to say, is that I… I- all is… _all is forgiven_. I do not blame you for an unfortunate accident, so do not misunderstand. I am not angry at you, Ruby. Merely upset."

Weiss finished by directing a death-glare at a nearby tree.

As immature as it was, Jaune, seeing the twitch of Weiss' eyebrow breaking through her mask of forced calm as if _just_ to spite her, couldn't help the laughter bubbling up inside him. He had to turn away, masking his mirth with a cough lest the irate Heiress' ire be diverted to him.

 _Less than convincing, yes, but at least she made the effort. That is commendable. You shouldn't laugh._ He scolded himself, then "coughed" loudly into his arm again.

"How absolutely sensational!" Penny exclaimed. Jaune caught her arm moving, and ducked out of the way in the nick of time, as she dragged the other two girls into a _crushing_ hug. "So that means we can all become good - no, the BEST - friends now! Right, Weiss?

Weiss choked what might have been "yes", or might have been "help". He couldn't tell.

"Penny. Let them breathe."

"Oh. Oops." Penny said, and released her asphyxiating victims. She patted Ruby's back. "At any rate, friend Ruby- do I have your permission to call you that?"

A wheezing Ruby managed a weak nod.

Penny beamed. "Wonderful! Friend Ruby, as I was saying, it would appear that you have made a friend in Weiss!"

If Weiss wanted to disagree there, she didn't have the lung capacity to.

Ruby, once recovered though, looked hopeful - and Jaune didn't know whether to admire her optimism or pity her naivety. "Really?"

"Really!" Penny said.

Not entirely impressed with her lack of say in the matter but having no other option, Weiss threw her arms up in defeat when faced with the full force of Ruby's wide, pleading eyes. "Yes, yes! Fine! We can be friends! Stop with that _pathetic_ -" She sighed and shook her head. "Never mind. What's past is past."

Jaune had to admit to being thoroughly surprised by the turn of events - this was _not_ by any means behaviour he'd expected of Weiss. That did not, however, stop him from making the best of it. "Well put, Weiss." He said. "We'll see what we can do about your Dust later. I packed some reserves, so you can use that tomorrow if it's compatible with you. For now, I don't believe any of us have introduced ourselves to Ruby proper yet."

"Indeed we have not." Weiss puffed up immediately, her earlier anger dissipating to be replaced by pride. "I, as you should already know, am Weiss Schnee."

"Nice to meet you, Weiss! I'm Ruby." The small girl had stopped cowering behind her Penny-barrier, and had quite jarringly transitioned into a rather infectious cheer. She paused. "I think I've heard your name somewhere. Are you a famous person or something?"

…

Jaune could've sworn that in that instant, the temperature around them dropped by full ten degrees.

Even Penny's eyes widened - it was _that_ bad.

 _Sorry, Ruby. You're on your own here._

* * *

"Truth be told, I… _may_ have overreacted. Just a little." Weiss admitted several minutes later, somewhat sheepishly, as she walked. "I apologize for my misconduct."

That was, well, an understatement. Nevertheless, Jaune found himself caught off guard by her words. He'd thought the mutual exclusiveness of a Schnee and the state of being apologetic all but a proven fact.

Which, if he were to be perfectly honest with himself, wasn't at all fair to Weiss. She was not her father, and he had no right to judge her for the actions of the SDC. All that he could accuse her of right now was having a short temper, and any more was unfounded prejudice.

He'd need to keep reminding himself of that.

Penny spoke before Jaune could come up with a diplomatic enough response. "There is no reason for you to apologize to _us_ , is there? I would assume that it would be more appropriate for you to do so to Ruby."

Said girl had, upon catching a glimpse of _someone_ in the crowd, frantically fled in the middle of Weiss' _do-you-have-any-idea-who-I-am-and-how-important-my-family-is_ speech with an "oh my Gods she's over there SAVE ME YANG!"

 _And I still haven't figured out where those rose petals are coming from._

Weiss scoffed. "Why on Remnant would I do that? _She_ was the one who ran into _me_ , and it was _her_ fault that I no longer have my Dust!"

She wasn't going to make it easy for him to like her, was she?

"But did you not just say that you had overre-"

" _About your Dust_ ," Jaune said quickly. "I did say you could use me and Penny's extra for tomorrow's initiation. Your casing was that of… A5, if my memory serves me right?"

"It was." Weiss confirmed. Then she fell into a brief silence, and he barely noticed her subtly biting her lip. "I will accept your offer with utmost gratitude." She sighed. "As much as I'd hate to inconvenience you, I _would_ appreciate having access to Dust for something as significant as our initiation."

 _You know, Weiss, a simple "yes" would have sufficed._

She cleared her throat, then continued. "Rest assured, you will be compensated the cost of any Dust I expend. It would not be fitting of a Schne-"

"That won't be necessary." Penny interrupted for him. "This isn't business. We're all fighting together as comrades. Besides, you're our friend! Me and Jaune always help our friends."

Weiss shook her head. "No. On this, I am firm. I _will_ pay you for your Dust that I use."

 _Strange thing to be so adamant about_ , Jaune mused internally. A5 Dust was expensive, for sure, but one mission's worth of it really shouldn't be significant by anyone's standards. He wasn't about to argue, though. "We can hardly object to that." He laughed. "I'll do my best to get a vial to you tonight so you can calibrate your equipment."

"I can help with that!" Penny added, to which Weiss nodded distractedly in response.

They had passed the set of double colonnades encircling the glass-domed amphitheatre then, joining the bottleneck forming at the entrance to the assembly area, and the Heiress' attention had swiftly turned away from them and to the throng of bodies pressing ever closer.

 _And the most-indignant-expression-of-the-year-award goes to…_

"Eventful morning." He whispered to Penny.

She giggled. "Oh, quite! I do find interaction with friend Weiss enjoyable. I am, in fact, pleasantly surprised by her."

Jaune wasn't sure if Penny was _trying_ to whisper back to him. If she was, then she failed miserably, if the very-visibly reddening Weiss beside him was any indication.

 _You and me both, Penny._

"I am also excited to hear Headmaster Ozpin's speech! General Ironwood gives the same one every year and I'm afraid it has consistently been…" She lowered her voice. " _Exceedingly_ boring."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "You don't need to tell me. I was there _with_ you."

 _I swear, if I have to listen to a "Courage, Discipline, Perseverance" speech again I am leaving and jumping off the cliff._

Then he frowned.

 _Focus. Don't get too comfortable._ He chided himself. _You can relax and let your thoughts wander_ after _you successfully avoid getting murdered in initiation._

* * *

 **Next chapter will be a small bit of the "everybody sleeps on the floor" scene, and then we'll be moving onto the initiation proper.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Did… did I just get out an update in a timely fashion?**

 ***Confetti & party horns***

 **And this chapter we will see a 40K space marine Jaune fully decked out in power armor annihilate all Grimm that dare to stand between him and victory with his massive chainsword!**

 **/s**

 **For anyone who's found my new fic, you can rest assured that I'm not abandoning this one.**

* * *

As it turned out, Headmaster Ozpin hadn't been lying when he said he'd 'keep it brief'. The man hadn't even spoken for a full _minute_. Though that was a good thing, Jaune supposed.

He knew from Doctor Polendina that part of why Ironwood would give such a long-winded speech every year, despite apparently hating speeches with a passion, was because Atlas Academy's sponsors and the Atlesian council wouldn't stop pushing him to play up the PR.

That Ozpin wasn't dedicating five hundred words to thank "those who so nobly supported the shared cause of all of humanity," meant that Beacon was likely under less political pressure in general.

 _Unlikely that it would affect me either way, but… nice to know._

The excited murmuring, which had started in earnest upon Ozpin's leaving, died an ugly death as an _extremely_ imposing blonde woman - holding a riding crop of all possible weapons - stepped forth. "You will gather in the ballroom tonight. Bedrolls are provided free of cost. When you leave this hall, submit your weapons and combat equipment for storage. There are staff waiting to collect them. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."

Then she stalked away after the headmaster.

Absolutely nobody moved.

"So that is Glynda Goodwitch." Penny murmured eventually, breaking the heavy silence. "She is frightening."

Noises of agreement came from all around her, and the crowd gradually came back to life. The excitement that the headmistress' presence had suppressed returned, as people talked amongst themselves about the two teachers, about initiation, about that _amazing_ ice cream place they just _had_ to visit again come the weekend.

" _Damn_ , Russel, Goodwitch's hot." Jaune heard someone in the background say. "You think I could chat her up with some of my 'ole Winchester charm?"

 _Good luck to him with that. I suspect he'll need it._

Well, it was ten in the morning. That meant they had a full ten hours or so to pass before nightfall. Honestly he couldn't fathom why Beacon would require all its students to arrive in the morning to host an opening ceremony, when the initiation was _next day_. Sure, they could use the time to explore the school's layout, but an entire afternoon felt a little excessive.

"What now?" Jaune mused, to no one in particular.

Weiss was far from as idle as him, already scanning the throngs of students on her tiptoes. "I presume we've the rest of the day to ourselves." She said, and seemed to have something catch her attention. "I'm afraid I will have to excuse myself for time being. A pleasure spending the morning with you, Jaune, Penny. I look forward to our becoming… closer acquainted, in the future."

She gave him and Penny a slight bow and hurried off.

"And we… the same?" He called after her.

Penny waved, but on account of Weiss having her back to them, the gesture went unseen. Jaune didn't feel like pointing it out, so hopefully sooner or later she'd reach the conclusion _people can't see you when they're facing away from you._

' _Becoming closer acquainted'? Not very subtle, is she? Might as well give us the recruitment pitch straight off the bat. Though I do wonder what had piqued her interest so. She'd been making a fair, if artificial, effort to get on our good side so far. Who is she after now?_

He attempted - and failed - to track Weiss' path through the crowd.

"Pyrrha Nikos." Penny said casually, once the heiress was out of earshot. "Graduated first in her class from Sanctum Academy. Four time winner of the Mistral Regional Tournament. Bound by five-year contract as the mascot for the Pumpkin Pete's brand cereal," she listed. "Her decision to study at Beacon Academy was met with significant controversy."

After a moment taken to process that, Jaune chuckled. "Wouldn't _that_ make an impressive résumé. You know what Weiss is doing, right?"

Penny hummed. "If my understanding of this expression is correct, she is seeking to 'stack the metaphorical chips in her favor'."

"Oh yes, that she is. I suspect she'll end up rather disappointed with me, however."

The comment earned him a frown from Penny. "Joke, Penny, _joke._ " he placated, before he got dragged into the _believe-in-yourself_ conversation again.

"I thought it was."

 _By the Gods, is that a_ pout _from Penny!?_

It must have have been a trick of light. "At any rate, we've a little time to roam the campus. Does that sound alright?"

Penny was back to her bubbly self within a microsecond, hoisting up her bags. "That sounds more than alright! In fact, it sounds _sensational_!"

* * *

Jaune's night was an uneventful one, save for two happenings worth noting.

The first was his brief bout of insecurity upon entering the men's changing rooms and it dawning on him that he was a scrawny noodle in the midst of superstars.

They had perfectly sculpted chests, well defined abs, bulging arm muscles, and so much more. He, on the other hand…

 _Was fit._ Jaune chastised himself. _I am fit. That is all I need to be. This is a huntsman academy, not some angsty teen drama show. I'm more mature than this._

Said chastising was marginally effective.

The second was Penny's almost worryingly frequent glances at a certain student, which had began in earnest the moment they'd set down their bedrolls. From his position at the opposite end of the ballroom from her, he couldn't quite manage to make out more than black hair and a bow.

"What gives?" He asked her. "Who is that?"

"I have a hypothesis. It requires confirmation."

"And what might that hypothesis be?"

"I… Look, Jaune!" She exclaimed, abruptly pointing at a window. "It is dark outside. I would say this is a suitable time for us to go to bed."

"You didn't-" he started, but she had already curled up, pressed her eyes shut, and was snoring away.

… _Penny doesn't snore._

* * *

The morning after, Jaune rose early. He would've loved to claim that it was out of self-discipline, or an intention to better prepare for initiation. The truth was… somewhat less flattering.

He was just nervous. Far too nervous for his own good. So nervous that he'd interrupted his own sleep _five times_ throughout the night. It wasn't nightmares, no - simply his inability to keep himself calm enough to sleep soundly.

 _Damnit, haven't I been through this already?_

As a matter of fact, he had, but his infuriatingly persistent stomach-butterflies didn't much care to respect that.

The sixth time his eyes opened, he gave up.

He sat up from his bedroll, and instantly, so too did Penny. "You woke five times during your sleep. Are you adequately rested?" She asked worriedly.

A girl to his left, with hair the same orange shade as Penny's, stirred.

Jaune rubbed his eyes. "I'll have to be. Keep your voice down, by the way. Everyone else is still asleep."

Penny's hand slapped over her mouth, her expression horrified.

At that, he couldn't resist a soft laugh. "Let's find ourselves breakfast, and somewhere we can talk freely."

So they did, carefully packing their bedrolls and picking their way across the mass of slumbering bodies.

A check of his scroll informed him that it was six-thirty. There was also a message from the academy administration, detailing the location of initiation to be the Beacon Cliff, at which they were to assemble two hours from now. Food was available for free, though not at the cafeteria - initiates would be served at the temporary kitchen on the field outside the armory.

Placing their bedrolls in one of three marked carts, they exited the ballroom and into the early, cloudless dawn. Aside from the occasional staff member cleaning the paths, the academy grounds they traversed were empty.

Half a minute later, a thought occurred to Jaune.

 _Penny's been quiet the whole time._

And with a start, he remembered something that his initiation-induced anxiety had pushed to a corner of his consciousness.

"Penny." He said.

"Yes?"

 _It's not like her to hide anything from me._

Jaune decided on the blunt approach. "While we're not busy, would you mind telling me what last night was all about?"

Penny was silent for several paces.

"I would not." She replied finally, turning to face him. "Forgive me, I appear to have made a mistake on this matter."

"What would help, is me being made aware as to what 'this matter' is." Jaune sighed. "That said, you are forgiven. Though I doubt there's really much to forgive."

Penny raised a finger. "How can you forgive me if, as you yourself pointed out, you do not know what I am requesting forgiveness _for_?"

"Because you were trying to help, and I know you well enough to refuse to believe otherwise."

"That… does makes sense." Penny's face brightened immediately. "I am extremely glad to hear that, Friend Jaune!"

"Please, back on topic." He prompted.

"Okay." Penny stopped walking, and in a jarringly instantaneous transition, her tone switched to a deadly serious one. "Blake Belladonna is among the first year students."

' _Belladonna'… That's a familiar name. 'Blake' is not._

His memory clicked, and he put two and two together.

 _That only brings up more unanswered questions._

Jaune's eyebrows knit themselves. "She's… White Fang, then?"

"Correct." Penny confirmed. "Blake Belladonna is the daughter of Ghira Belladonna, former High Leader of the White Fang."

 _Oh dear._

"I didn't know he had a daughter."

"That is to be expected. Blake Belladonna's existence was kept secret for a significant portion of her life. She was not identified until years after she became an active member of the White Fang."

Subconsciously, Jaune's gaze began to flit about, scanning his surroundings. Then he reminded himself to _stop being a fool_ , since Penny would've detected any eavesdroppers from kilometres away.

 _With the White Fang, though, there's two ways to interpret 'active member'._

A glimmer of admittedly naïve hope rose in him. "From what I recall, Ghira is one of the organization's advocates for peaceful protests. The responsibility for the terrorist actions of the White Fang were claimed by Sienna Khan."

 _Perhaps she follows in her father's footsteps. By the Gods,_ please _let that be the case._

"You are correct again."

The glimmer shone brighter. "That would explain why she can be here. Ghira and his daughter could be considered separate from the extremist White Fang factions."

Penny proceeded to brutally _crush_ his budding relief. "Unfortunately not. Blake Belladonna is a wanted criminal in Atlas for over fifteen assaults on SDC Dust convoys. She is also affiliated with Adam Taurus." She paused, seemingly oblivious to his sharp intake of breath. "Oh! I forgot to mention that this is all confidential, which I am only disclosing to you on the clearance authorization order of Doctor Polendi-"

Jaune barely heard her. His heart was pounding in his chest. "We need to get back to the ballroom. _Right now_."

He could think of a singular objective for a White Fang operative to have here at Beacon. An objective who was presently fast asleep. Helpless.

"Wait, Friend Jaune! Weiss Schnee is not in danger."

Jaune froze. "What?"

"Blake Belladonna left the Ballroom twenty-seven minutes before we did. I can detect her heat signature in the armory change-rooms." Penny narrowed her eyes at the building several hundred meters from where they stood, then looked back to him. "She is brushing her teeth. I share the same suspicion as you, that Friend Weiss would possibly be a target. I have, however, yet to notice any sign of malicious intent towards her."

Jaune grit his teeth, trying to steady his breathing and see through his haze of panic. "It _is_ true that a kidnapping would not be particularly feasible to carry out in the presence of Beacon's professors, and so many huntsmen-in-training, while an assassination…"

"Is unlikely, for it would serve no purpose on an individual such as Friend Weiss, who holds no significant political influence." Penny finished.

She was absolutely right, of course. Penny's social skills could use some work, but when it came to other things - logical deduction, counterterrorism, and subterfuge, to name a few - she was leagues above him. He had to trust Penny.

With great difficulty, Jaune forced the increasingly outlandish conspiracy theories piling up in head away. "What do you think we should do?"

"Observe."

Jaune stared at her incredulously.

"I have been unable thus far to discern Blake Belladonna's motives outside of theory. Collecting more data would allow me to make a sounder judgement. The closest opportunity to attempt an abduction is today's initiation, when Weiss is isolated in the Emerald Forest, and I believe the best course of action is to remain near her then."

 _Huh. I… can't argue against that. But I don't like just doing_ nothing _._

 _I don't have a better plan, either, so…_

"Fine. We'll do as you say." Jaune conceded.

"Thank you for your faith in me, Friend Jaune!"

He cracked a small, short-lived grin. "You deserve it. Although… you said information on this Blake figure is all confidential? To Atlas?"

 _Assuming she gained entrance to Beacon with a fake ID, her real identity can't be in Vale's database. Otherwise she would've been found out in an instant. I'm certain the academy does cross-referencing checks for its applicants._

That would mean…

"I did." Penny tilted her head, studying him. "Are you concerned that Headmaster Ozpin is, as people would say, 'in the dark'?"

He could understand the desire for Atlas to keep their intelligence on its enemies a secret. Regardless, here and now that secrecy was going to prove _inconvenient_ , to say the least. It wasn't going to go well for them if they tried to deal with a potential terrorist plot alone.

"Very. The academy authorities must be warned immediately. Can you send a message directly to the Headmaster?" Jaune reached for his scroll. "I'll contact Doctor Polendina."

"The former is unnecessary, and I have already done the latter."

Jaune blinked.

"Headmaster Ozpin is in possession of a Top-Secret security clearance in both Vale and Atlas. He has access to all relevant information on Blake Belladonna." Penny explained. "Furthermore, we have reason to draw the conclusion that he is aware of her association with the White Fang - records indicate she was summoned for a private meeting to his office two days ago. The contents of the meeting are not available to me, though little else that can be its subject."

Slowly, he nodded. "I'm still not entirely sure what to make of this, but… I suppose we shouldn't jump to conclusions in that case."

"I agree. Also, Pyrrha Nikos is forty-two meters behind us and approaching. Are we to cease this discussion?" Penny said, eyes never leaving him.

Under normal circumstances, Jaune might have decided to talk to her, if only out of curiosity.

 _Normal's out the window._

"Let's keep walking."

"Let's!"

 _Right. I almost forgot._

"And Penny? What possessed you to _not_ tell me this yesterday?"

"I… imagined you would sleep better, if I did not worry you with this issue."

Penny smiled sheepishly as Jaune's palm impacted his forehead.

 _For the love of-_

…

* * *

 **Next update will probably be on Annas & Outrealms.**

 **To the reader who sent a concerned message about Jaune's backstory: he** _ **does**_ **have a coherent one. I just don't want to dump it out too soon because it's revelation will serve a plot purpose.**

 **P.S. I didn't get to initiation this chapter. I'm VERY sorry to be delaying the action for so long, but I wanted to set up Blake as a plot point. I** _ **promise**_ **next chapter will have the fighting and excitement we've all been waiting for.**

 **P.P.S. I make mistakes. Lots of them. I _implore_ you to point them out to me via review / PM if you come across any ..**

 **On a side note, to my AP-exam taking comrades, good luck the next two weeks! WE DIE TOGETHER.**


End file.
